In This Issue:

• Executive Coaching
• Profile
• Woman Talk
• Managing Diversity
• Management Tip of the Month
• Book Nook
• Ethics Dilemma

LEADING EDGE SEMINARS

Click here for information on our 2007 seminar series, including "Leading in Turbulent Times" and "Strategic Diversity."

PROFILE:
Ruth Shack

Each month we will profile someone in the business, non-profit or government sector who has shown superior leadership or management skills. If you know someone who should be profiled, please send the person's name, title, organization and contact information to edgeline.

NAME: Ruth Shack
TITLE: President & CEO
COMPANY: Dade Community Foundation, Miami, FL

Ruth Shack's career has been rooted in the world of community service. She has spearheaded groundbreaking work in philanthropy to meet Greater Miami's emerging charitable needs and was elected for three terms as a Metro-Dade County Commissioner.

What is most exciting about your current role?

Growth. Not only the expansion of this Community Foundation's assets and reach into the Greater Miami area, but more, watching those whom I have mentored take control and create a new breed, a new brand, a new band of leadership.

What is your biggest challenge?

Ignoring people who insist – "It can't be done." Remaining positive in this ever changing, never boring community.

Briefly describe an experience that taught you a lot about leadership or management.

Without hesitation, I offer Gypsy Rose Lee, a fully accomplished woman, a burlesque stripper who never "took it off." An intellect, an author who had style and a woman who transcended what was expected of a woman.

Describe someone who is a hero to you, or mentor or role model.

As the future comes rushing at us potential leaders will need flexibility, a mastery of interconnectedness and the ability to learn.

What personal strengths have led to your own success?

Sheer determination, a strong set of core values, a clear vision and matchmaking skills paired with the ability "to work the room."

When faced with a thorny business dilemma, what are the key questions you ask?

"Who are the key people to ask?" is the question more appropriate to my style. This Foundation has attracted a distinguished cadre of board and staff leadership. Turning to them gives me the best advice and helps me maneuver through any thorny dilemmas.

Tell us about your outside community interests, hobbies and activities.

The arts are my path to bliss, reading, fiction and non-fiction, glossy magazines and daily newspapers help me form opinions. The visual arts help me hone my aesthetic sensibility and the theater is an opportunity to watch life pass in front of me.

---

Ruth Shack

Born: August 28, 1931, New York

Education:: MA, Urban Sociology

Also worked at: Dade County School Board, Metro-Dade County Commission

Family members: Richard Shack, husband, three grown daughters and five growing grandchildren.

Favorite quote: "What's next?" -- Unknown

Favorite book: "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men", James Agee

Management Tip

"What kind of leadership do employees need from me right now?" This is a great question to ask, particularly when you are frustrated at the slow pace of a change in your workplace. Then, turn to your employees where you may find helpful information and solutions. Finally, look at your calendar to see how you are using your time. Are you being asked to take more time for relationship building? Problem-solving? Planning? You may need to make some changes depending on the response.

—Rafael Gonzalez

Executive Coaching:

Is it for you?

By Rafael Gonzalez

The current marketplace is often described as a place of "turbulence," "opportunity" "complexity" and "doing more with less." In this challenging landscape, the road to success can be a high-risk venture. Executive coaching may be just what you need.

Executive coaching involves personal consultations to help executives solve tough workplace issues and to promote professional growth. Coaching typically involves four key phases: assessment, planning, implementation and follow-up. Gathering constructive feedback takes place during assessment; it might include a 360 instrument, self-assessment tools and individual interviews. This information gives focus to the issues that need to be addressed and included in an action plan. Most plans will involve short-term measurable goals—ones that impact the strategic objectives of your workplace. Finally, there is an individual follow-up session that may include other people, like a boss.

When should you consider using an executive coach?

Here are three common reasons, with illustrative examples, for using an executive coach:

1) An executive is ineffective in his/her team relationships and needs improved business results. Coaching gives executives the opportunity to discuss issues confidentially without worrying about repercussions. It also offers a broader perspective, drawing upon best practices and referrals from outside resources.

John has taken over a new R&D team that has been together for a few years. He encounters resistance in his efforts to make necessary and timely changes. Executive coaching helped John realize that the new team culture valued collaboration and involvement and they perceived his style to be autocratic. He learned to make adjustments to be more inclusive in problem solving and more open in sharing information. The team became more productive and less resistant to his leadership

2) An executive faces competing objectives, often involving multiple departments that take their toll on workforce morale and productivity. Standing outside the day-to-day operations, a coach can help executives find order and structure in complex and chaotic situations. Coaches offer an objective viewpoint to help executives prioritize competing goals.

Dianne, a newspaper publisher, and her executive team faced a multitude of issues—fading circulation, large advertising losses and a recent bad audit. The entire team felt overworked and overwhelmed. An executive coach gathered individual and organizational feedback from each department, then assisted Diane and the executive to create an action plan. It included specific executive team roles, short-term organizational and departmental priorities and identified longer-term circulation and organizational strategies. This new clarity led to resolving the audit issues and to a renewed collaboration that increased advertising revenue.

3) A high potential manager or employee is struggling with a career decision or is about to take on a bigger assignment. A coach knowledgeable about the marketplace can help leaders design realistic development and career plans in order to retain their high-potential employees.

Carlos had been identified as a highly promising leader. Yet recent business changes left him unsure about his next career step. An executive coach gave Carlos solid data about the marketplace and helped him develop both a realistic and aggressive plan for professional growth in his current company. He decided to stay, contributing to the business while moving forward on his development plan.

How do I select the right coach?

Experienced coaches understand both human behavior and organizational development. A successful coach can capably address personal issues and use models and assessment tools. Subjective factors like style, gender, and race are also possible considerations when matching an executive with a coach.

When selecting an executive coach, some good questions to ask are: ‘What experiences have you had in working with executives in a company like ours?' ‘How do you measure success?' and ‘Could you give me an example of both a successful and an unsuccessful coaching assignment you managed?"

Where do I find a coach?

In looking for a coach, you can try the Internet – searches will yield many lists. But your best bet is a referral from someone you know and trust. Your Human Resources department, your colleagues and industry associations are good potential resources.

Leading Edge Associates uses a holistic integrated approach in executive coaching that considers an individual's whole life as well as their career and business. Our approach provides concrete solutions that address a person's particular situation, while also increasing organizational knowledge.

Rafael Gonzalez has more than 30 years experience as an executive coach and organizational consultant. His clients have included diverse organizations such as Motorola, Knight Ridder, the United Nations and the New York Yankees.

WOMAN TALK: Create your own opportunities

By Dinah Eng

In March, Elaine Zinngrabe began her new job as senior vice president of interactive for the Denver Newspaper Agency that publishes The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. She oversees all web site development and operations.

She says women who want to rise up the corporate ladder must create opportunities that shine a light on their contributions to the company. "Our job is to help our companies succeed," Zinngrabe says. "You need to ask yourself, ‘How do the projects I'm taking on help the company grow revenue through new products, make the company more efficient, or improve productivity?'

"You can never underestimate the importance of being part of teams and groups that are on the radar of senior management. I call it visibility. If no one knows what you're doing, they can't promote you ."She says women sometimes feel they need to act like men, being loud or brusque in their management style, and that this is not necessary.

"You're not going to fool anyone into thinking you're not a woman," she says, chuckling. "I've read a number of books about women and management that have helped me to see that there are things women do without thinking that can be detrimental to our careers."

For example, smiling too much, or at inappropriate moments.

"Women who are in uncomfortable situations tend to look around the room and smile as a nervous reflex," Zinngrabe notes. "If you're listening to a dismal financial report, you don't want to be looking like something's funny, or not important."

She recommends the books "Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead... But Gutsy Girls Do: Nine Secrets Every Working Woman Must Know" by Kate White and "Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman... What Men Know About Success That Women Need to Learn" by Gail Evans.

Zinngrabe says there are an increasing number of women managers in the workplace, but fewer when you get to the director level, and distinctly fewer at the vice presidential level and higher.

The higher a woman goes, she says, the more her actions are watched.

"People are watching you for what messages you convey explicitly, or unintentionally," Zinngrabe says. "You have an opportunity to affect corporate culture, which can be good or bad. Know that companies are different from place to place, and how you'll need to represent yourself to fit in will be different as well."

MANAGING DIVERSITY: Is 60+ the new diversity factor?

By Jacqui Love Marshall

"Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter," said Satchel Paige to his critics. At 42, he made his major league debut as pitcher for the Negro Baseball League. After retirement at 59, he returned for one year to pitch three shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox.

Paige's words offer the ideal slogan for 60+ year-old working boomers. They are not opting to slow down into retirement. These boomers and pre-boomers grew up in post-war households where hard work, achievement and security were important values. Why stop working when they are still healthy and passionate about contributing their skills? Many need the ongoing income and medical coverage. Plus, this generation sees the benefits of staying mentally and physically active in later years.

Their numbers are growing. According to the AARP, 50-plus workers represented 28% of workers in 2006, an increase over the -20% two decades before. Civic Ventures, a senior-advocate organization, says on their web site: "60 is the new 40." In the last century, the average U.S. lifespan has grown by 30 years, from age 47 to 78 today. Many 60+ Americans feel two decades younger than their chronological age. The website says, "Four out of five people over 50 say they will work in retirement, whether full time or part time, whether for money or enjoyment."

However, companies still opt to shed older employees to minimize higher salaries and health care costs. Corporate downsizing leaves many older workers frustrated and unable to find suitable work. When companies focus on short-term savings, one wonders whether the loss of institutional history, skill/experience and wisdom may exact a high price. Sheer demographics indicate it may prove very costly.

Economists predict a labor shortage of 10 million workers by 2010, when most boomers will retire and fewer younger workers will replace them. Smart companies will pay attention to this emerging diversity gap where the retention and recruitment of 60+year-old workers can provide a competitive edge.

Here's an opportunity for your company to be pro-active. Start now to adopt senior-friendly workplace practices:

- Be more informed about issues and concerns facing senior workers. Resources include the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) www.aarp.org or Civic Ventures www.civicventures.org.

- Be creative in offering alternative work arrangements such as phased retirement, sabbaticals, part-time consulting, seasonal hiring, freelance contracting, telecommuting and job sharing. Flexibility is the key retention issue for older workers and retirees.

- Conduct an internal assessment of your company's workforce by age/tenure, critical skills and minimal experience. Determine if a skills gap is anticipated as older workers reach retirement age; develop strategies to address the gaps.

- Develop a retention plan in to keep ahead of the labor shortage curve. An Ernst & Young study revealed that 85% of surveyed employers had no formal retention programs for older workers.

- Stay current on proposed legislation aimed at keeping older workers working. Tax codes, pension and social security regulations make working beyond retirement challenging. The Senate Special Committee on Aging is proposing a tax credit to companies that offer flexible work arrangements without losing health and pension benefits for seniors.

- Initiate early discussions with employees as they express interest in slowing down or retiring to explore work alternatives and promote successful examples of seniors who enjoy your flexible work plans.

Offer helpful resources for senior employees as they explore options. A few books include: "The Age Advantage: Making the Most of Your Mid-Life Career Transition" by Jean Erickson Walker, www.theageadvantage.com, "50 Plus!: Critical Career Decisions for the Rest of Your Life" by Robert L. Dilenschneider and "Rewired, Rehired, or Retired? A Global Guide for the Experienced Worker" by Robert K. Critchley.

BOOK NOOK

ETHICS DILEMMA: Drinking and the job

Jerry Ceppos will answer questions about ethical issues every month. Along with two others, he received the first Ethics in Journalism Award of the Society of Professional Journalists. Write Jerry at jceppos@aol.com. Tell him if you don't want your name used.

Q. I'm pretty sure that a colleague and friend is drinking to excess. In fact, he embarrassed himself (without knowing it) in a meeting the other day. Should I tell the boss?

A. The better tactic probably is to talk with your colleague first. You are friends, so your words carry more weight. If your friend has given you good advice in the past, you might start by citing that and saying that you want to repay the favor. After that, be calm and candid about his drinking. Cite specifics, such as the meeting where he embarrassed himself. Tell him that gently. Offer to help. Listen. He may be wrestling with alcoholism, a serious medical issue.

After that comes the difficult part. If his drinking behaviors continue, I'd probably go to the employee assistance program, if you have one, or to a trusted senior HR officer rather than the boss. You want to help, not get him fired.

Edgeline is published the second Tuesday of each month by Leading Edge Associates, a consulting firm engaged in management training, organizational change, succession planning, executive coaching, diversity and media. Rebecca Kuiken, managing editor of Edgeline, can be reached at (408) 960-9472.